Truth or Dare?
by PrinceMills
Summary: Regina finds herself in a drunken celebration of Storybrooke's latest victory.


Regina doesn't quite know how she got here. She's supposed to be the most feared person in all the lands. Okay, most feared woman in all the lands. Well, She's supposed to be the most feared woman in this town, at the very least. Okay, _now that her sister's gone, _she's supposed to be the most feared woman in town. Isn't she?

The why is she sitting on the floor of Granny's with the waitress, the librarian, her son's other mother and the newest law student in town, drinking as if there was no tomorrow? And playing 'Truth or Dare'? Jesus, how did she get here indeed.

Her thoughts are interrupted when the room erupts with laughter, and she follows suit, even though she doesn't exactly know what they're all laughing about. Kathryn's red face makes her think that Ruby had probably just asked a rather private question. Belle spins the bottle, and it stops with its neck pointing at Emma, and its bottom pointing at Regina.

'Truth or Dare?' Regina asks, already smiling. She's aware the woman hasn't picked truth once, but she knows Emma isn't one to share, even when drunk. Regina's mind is going a thousand miles per hour with all the options she has now.

'Dare.' Emma doesn't look away, her drunken state making her disregard the fact that Reigna isn't one to back down from a challenge, and this isn't the most favorable time for Emma to be challenging her.

'No! That's not fair!' Ruby whines, 'You've only chosen dare until now, you can't do that!'

Emma looks at her direction only for a second, before returning her attention to Regina. 'Dare. I still chose dare.' Regina lifts an eyebrow, and is about to answer when the door bursts open and Granny comes in looking rather sour.

'What on _Earth _are you all doing here!?' She looks at everyone's face before her gaze lands on Ruby. 'You haven't _slept? _We open in two hours and the place is a complete mess!'

Needless to say the place was practically shining when they left the diner, one and a half hours later.

* * *

'Why are you bringing that?' Henry points at the vacuum flask in Emma's hands.

They've just turned into Mifflin street, and it's the first time since the new curse broke that Henry goes to Regina's. 'Hm… I-... Your mom is probably not feeling too great right now-'

'Is she also hungover?' He asks, grinning.

'What!?' Emma stops on her tracks, holding Henry's arm to make him stop too 'What do you mean 'also'?'

Henry smiles at her and keeps walking, with Emma now trailing behind him. '_You_ are hungover. You woke up at 3 o'clock, ma. Even I never woke that late.' Emma opens her mouth to deny it, but nothing comes out. 'Also, you were groaning and barely opened your eyes, until Grandpa made you that disgusting green juice.' Her stomach turns at the memory, and she makes a face. 'Also, you looked like hell when you woke up.'

'I did _not_!' Henry doesn't even give her an answer to that, he just keeps smiling as he knocks on the door.

* * *

'What's that?' Regina asks, after Henry has left them alone at the foyer and Emma hands over the vacuum flask she had been holding.

'It's… erm, juice?' Emma knows that Regina would not react well if she mentioned how drunk they had gotten the night before. She doesn't even want to know what the other woman would do if she knew Henry was aware of that. Hopefully the kid knows better than to let her find out.

'Are you not sure of what it is, Ms. Swan?' If Regina's tone of voice colder than usual, she blames it on the knife that seems to be constantly stabbing her brain.

She goes into the kitchen and Emma follows, neither of them questioning it. As soon as she opens the flask her face blanches.

'Good _God,_ what _is _this!?' Regina asks, holding the flask away from her body.

'My dad made it. It's good for… you know.' Emma is still standing by the door, not wanting to impose.

'You expect me to _drink _it?' Regina makes a face, and Emma knows how close the woman must be to getting sick.

'Well, you don't have to, but it's good. Just, you know, close your nose or something. It tastes awful, but it does help a lot.' Regina is about to answer with a cold remark when she catches herself. _She's trying to help you. Do not screw this up, Regina. _She puts the flask away and turns to Emma. Before she can say anything Emma continues. 'Well, I really should be heading back, I promised to help David look into the damage at the docks...'

Regina smiles at her and leads the way back to the door. 'Thank you. You didn't have to.' She says, as she opens the door.

'Oh, it's nothing.' Emma's smiles sheepishly at her, before walking out. She's halfway to the gate when she turns, 'I was actually hoping that would compensate for your missed opportunity last night.'

Regina's back goes rigid, and Emma could swear he woman pales. '...What?'

'I meant the dare.' At Regina's confused face she amends, 'Granny walked in before you could propose a dare.'

'Oh, Ms. Swan, that juice doesn't even _begin _to make up for that. You still owe me a dare.'

* * *

It's two days later Emma arrives at the station to a single Tiger Lily sitting on her desk. She thanks Henry when she gets home, but misses his confused face, too focused on her dinner to notice.

At the fourth lily she asks Henry if that's his way of saying he wants a new game. When he tells her he's not the one leaving the flowers, she thinks maybe Hook came back from his latest voyage.

She throws the next lily away.

* * *

A week after their drunken game of Truth or Dare, and by that time she's getting entire bouquets -whoever is sending her these must be _loaded _-, Belle appears on her doorstep, with Ruby on tow.

"We're having a movie night!" Ruby looks like she's holding her laughter, and Belle looks much too giddy for this to be an innocent impromptu movie night. "Henry's staying with Regina, right? We knew you'd be alone, and we've barely seen you since that night at Granny's..." Belle doesn't even wait for an invitation, and Ruby lets out a laugh when Emma keeps looking at them weirdly.

"And I've brought booze!" Ruby puts the bottle she's been holding - Is that wine? - on the coffee table and heads for the kitchen. "Okay, where do you keep the popcorn? Ever since Snow moved away I haven't been able to find a single thing on this place…. Found it!"

"How do you guys even know if I don't have plans for tonight?" Belle looks at Emma with a smile. "I'm not _saying _I did, I'm just… Nevermind. What movie did you bring?" Emma slumped onto the couch beside Belle, reaching for the DVD case. " 'Imagine Me & You', oh! I love Lena Headey"

* * *

The movie is left half finished, and Ruby and Belle don't seem the least bit surprised when she stands up and says she needs to go. Emma catches Belle saying 'I told you see needed a little push!' and doesn't stop to think about what that means. The only thing on her head is Luce's last line before she stopped paying attention.

_Lovely. Now, tell me about the lily_

How could she be _so damn slow?_ An entire week? And why didn't she think to just google the meaning of the damn flower?

Emma gets to the mansion on record time, lungs burning, and rings the bell about a hundred times. She hopes to god Regina isn't asleep, she wouldn't want to get the other woman on a sour mood, especially not right now.

_The Lily means…_

As soon as the door opens and she sees Regina standing there she blurts "I know what the Lily means." Regina is confused for only half a second, and then gives her a soft smile.

One that doesn't last very long, for soon Emma crosses the distance and kisses her.

"Took you long enough" Regina says once they part, her arms still around Emma's neck.

_The Lily means I dare you to love me. _


End file.
